


Somewhere Only we Know

by Tsuki_Amano



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, TaoRis - Freeform, related to the interview tao gave
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 20:48:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4719917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsuki_Amano/pseuds/Tsuki_Amano
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yi Fan hasn't really spoken to Tao, not after he's left. The word's that were said couldn't be taken back. But Zi Tao's interview may change all that.</p><p>*Inspired by Tao's interview he gave recently which broke my heart*</p>
            </blockquote>





	Somewhere Only we Know

**Author's Note:**

> As opposed to my usual work, this story involves real life characters. In no way do I wish to cast any aspersions on their characters or suggest that this is anything but a work of fiction.  
> The opinions expressed in this are solely my own, meant for this story.

It’s all over his Instagram feed before he even really knows what’s happening. For the most part, Yifan doesn’t even pay attention to his Instagram account (or most of his social media accounts for that matter). They’d been started back in his SM days, and now he maintained them mainly to keep up the good will with his fans.

Oh sure, he reads some of the comments that the fans post, but they’re usually the same.

Until today.

He logs in and his eyebrows raise at the onslaught of posts on his photos, all of which are begging him to forgive Zitao.

Yifan scrolls up and he finds that there isn’t any real explanation for this new trend. He briefly contemplates surfing the net, finding out what had happened, but he stops himself. He had sworn he wouldn’t go down that road, not after he left.

Pulling himself out of his bed, he tosses his phone to the side. He doesn’t have time to worry about this anymore.

He can’t.

**_“Yifan-ge, it’s a lie right? What they’re saying?” Tao’s in tears, his face blotchy and red. Yifan wants nothing more than to take him into his arms and tell his precious xiaoxiongmao everything will be alright._ **

**_“Yah, Taozi…” He begins to explain himself when the door swings open._ **

**_“How could you?” It’s Joonmyun. His face is pale and his fists are clenched around the door handle. He slams the door shut behind him._ **

**_Tao looks back and forth between them, bewildered. “Hyung, what are you talking about? Kris-ge hasn’t left yet, right? Tell him gege.”_ **

**_Yifan doesn’t answer, he can’t. He can’t bring himself to look into Tao’s eyes._ **

**_Joonmyun sneers, “I just got off the phone with the managers. I can’t believe you Kris. How could you do this to us, now of all times, with the concert coming up so soon. Do you hate us so much?”_ **

**_He leaps up, “No Joonmyun, it’s not like that!”_ **

**_“Then what Kris? Tell me, because I can’t understand. How can you be so selfish?”_ **

**_It’s like a slap on his face. Yifan lets out a breath, how can he explain. How does he tell their leader that this thing, this dream they’ve worked for, for so many years is nothing more than a slave contract. How can he tell him about the pain, the anxiety, and the doctor’s appointments?_ **

**_Joonmyun goes still, “Leave. The others won’t be back till morning. They’ve all got recordings and schedules. Take your bags and leave. I don’t want them to go through this.”_ **

**_“Suho, I…”_ **

**_“Don’t you dare call me that! Get out Yifan!”_ **

**_He slams the door behind and Yifan pretends he can’t hear him crying._ **

**_“G…Ge? What does he mean? What hyung was saying? You’re not leaving right?”_ **

**_Yifan’s heart skips a beat. “Tao-ah, please understand, I can’t stay here now. I just can’t.”_ **

**_“Why didn’t you tell me? Did I mean so little to you?”_ **

Harsh knocking on the door snaps Yifan from his reverie. He answers his door to find his new manager standing at the entrance. Smiling at him, he lets himself in and closes the door behind him.

“I assume you’ve seen the news?” he asks.

He takes a long drag of orange juice, “Only a bit. I don’t know what caused it.”

The manager fixes him with a sharp look, “Do you want to?”

He knows what the manager is asking, the real question hidden in those words. Do you want to take Zitao back?

And the truth is, Yifan doesn’t know the answer to that.

By the time he finishes his promotions for the day, he’s exhausted and he just wants to take a bath and relax. The light on his answering machine is blinking, so he presses it. Luhan’s voice floats through his apartment.

“Yo, thought I’d ask how you were. Though knowing you, you’re hiding from everything. Listen you great grumpy dragon, give the kid a break ok? He misses you. Call me back, I’ll buy you dumplings.”

Yifan slides to the floor and buries his head in his hands. He should be happy, he’s got everything he wanted, what he dreamed off. But still his heart felt empty.

The promise ring on his finger gleams as it catches the light from the bulb overhead. Tao had bought it for them with the money he got from the first album. He’d been so excited, bouncing all over the room, telling the others how happy he was. He’d given Yifan the ring later, in the privacy of their dorn, shyly bowing his head and presenting him with the gift.

For all the bravado he was gaining on stage, he’d always be that shy kid with the big heart, the one who didn’t know the difference between ‘oppa’ and ‘hyung’, with fierce eyes and wushu skills that matched.

He eats his dinner while looking at some photos of them from before. From their trainee days, to their stage days, to the day just before he left.

He remembers Tao’s words, “Betrayal” he’d said.

Yifan’s still got everything he ever bought with Tao, the couple outfits and jewellery, the stuffed wolves, the selcas and receipts from the shops and movies he went to.

Sometimes, at night, he imagines he can hear Tao laughing in that excited way of his, “Ge! Come and see this! Wah, it’s so beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here ge! Wo ai ni!”

He cries himself to sleep that night.

The makeup artist throws a fit when she sees his puffy eyes and complexion but he passes it off as an allergy.

Later that day, he meets up with Luhan for lunch. The elder looks happy, peaceful but Yifan knows how much he misses the other members. He’d left on better terms than Yifan though, he still keeps in touch with them, but he still catches the downcast expression on Luhan’s face when he sees a baozi or they pass a milk tea shop

“Have you spoken to him even once since we left?” Luhan asks, slurping his noodles.

Yifan is silent.

“Yah, are you serious? Not even once!”

“And you, have you spoken to Sehun? To Minseok?”

“I did.” He says quietly, “Minseok said he needed time to process it all. He said he still loved me, but he didn’t know how he’d manage with us being so far away. And if management found out, they’d terminate his contract.”

“What about Sehun?”

Luhan places his chopsticks down, “He…he didn’t say much. He cried a lot. Told me he hated me, and couldn’t believe I would leave. That I was the first real friend he ever had. Jongin called me back later, said he had cried himself to sleep, but he knew deep down the kid forgave me. He messages me sometimes, Sehun, it’s not much. But he does.”

“Yifan,” he suddenly says, looking up, “Look, it doesn’t have to end this way for you. Especially after what he said at the interview.”

Yifan looks away.

“You have at least seen the interview right?”

“I haven’t read a single news article about him since I left. I only know he left SM. That’s all.”

He lets out a cry of pain when Luhan hits him with his chopsticks. “You complete and utter fool. After this lunch, you will go home and read up on what happened and call him. You owe him that much Yifan. You know it.”

At home, he reads, and reads and reads some more.

His heart thuds painfully in his chest.

He’s met Tao’s father before, his mother too. He remembered the kindly woman clasping his hands, thanking him for looking after her son. His father had hugged Tao tight, pride shining in his eyes.

He reads about the injuries, about how Tao missed the window period for treatment.

When he hears Tao’s ok, he lets out a sob, because that’s his wushu panda, his baobei and if any harm befell him, he couldn’t live with himself.

Zitao’s going solo, by the looks of it and he reads angrily about how they refuse to terminate his contract. He makes a mental note to ask his lawyer to look into the case.

That’s when he sees a link on the page, “Huang Zitao Speaks about Yifan!!!”

Clicking on it tentatively, he’s a bit surprised when he sees it’s a video. He turns on the volume on his laptop and listens, Tao’s familiar voice filling his room.

“When he left, I felt betrayed, but now I understand his actions much better. I support him fully and want to apologize, I only hope he will take me back.”

The tears on Tao’s face mirror those on his own.

He sits there in silence, wondering what he can possibly do to set things right.

One hour later, he dials a number on his phone, holding his breath till the third ring when someone picks up.

“Hello?”

Yifan sucks in a breath, too stunned to say anything.

“Uh, hello? Who is this?”

“Taozi?”

**_“Duizhang?”_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Any taoris fans here? Ah~ those were the days. In case anyone, like me, stopped following EXO news awhile ago, to fill you in, some of this story really does follow what happened.  
> Luhan is actually still in touch with Yifan and Tao (and Yixing from what I recall). The lawsuits are still not over, with fresh statements being filed and Tao has now filed a lawsuit using Luhan's and Yifan's lawyer.  
> Additionally, in a recent interview Tao really did bring up that statement. No one knows what the heck is happening anymore, but we all want them to be happy.  
> They've suffered enough.
> 
> Quick translation-  
> Hyung- Older brother (korean)  
> Gege/ge- brother (Mandarin)  
> xiaoxiongmao Little Panda (Mandarin)  
> wo ai ni-I love you (Mandarin)  
> baobei- term of endearment (mandarin)
> 
> Please correct me if any of this is incorrect as neither of these are my native tongues and I don't mean to offend anyone. Also, this topic is a sensitive one for fans and many of us have different views on the departures and current activities. What I've written here are my views alone, so I hope it doesn't offend anyone.   
> *Edit* thanks to WinterQueen who pointed out the correct spelling ^^


End file.
